Before Ron and Harry: Out of The Flames
by ASiriusWriter01
Summary: Second in my "Chances" series. After Harry goes into the flames Hermione goes back to get help. This is everything that happens from getting out and the day after. Hermione/Draco/Pansy friendship. AU I don't own Harry Potter.


There was no time to think, only time to act. She never would have thought that she would never be in a situation where her smarts can't truly help her. What does this make her now? Her brains are everything to her. Bow is not the time to be thinking about that though. Harry is alone with whoever is trying to steal the stone, and he is in danger. Adrenaline pumping, Hermione Granger sprinted through the rooms that held the traps until she got to the Devil's Snare room. Quickly levitating herself to Fluffy's room, she tore down Hogwart's corridors in hopes of finding a teacher. The corridors felt like miles as she ran. Out of breath and nearly out of time, Hermione wanted to break down and cry. Harry and Ron need her to come through though, and she is going to get help if it killed her. Finally stumbling towards Professor McGonagall's office, Hermione banged on the door with all of her remaining strength.

"Come in," Professor McGonagall called.

Limping into the room, Hermione gasped out, "Harry….follow…..stone…..Ron….unconscious…help."

Getting the gist of what Hermione said, Professor McGonagall let out a horrified gasp. She produced a silvery figure from her wand and muttered a few words to it before it flew off. She set off for the forbidden corridor. Having exhausted her energy, Hermione could barely stand up straight. However, she still attempted to follow her professor to lend whatever assistance she could, but she doubts she could do much of anything. She has to try though. Hermione managed to get down to the fourth floor before she collapsed completely. Out of energy, she could do nothing but lay there.

"Hermione!" a girl shrieked.

Hermione could recognize that voice anywhere, "Pan..sy."

"Hermione! Get up! What's wrong? What happened? You're scratched up, and you look like you ran for miles without stopping!" Pansy questioned worriedly.

'Huh,' Hermione thought, 'I guess the Devil's Snare hurt me more than I thought it did.'

"Don't worry Hermione. I'll go get help!" Pansy yelled out as she ran.

Without Pansy fussing over her, Hermione took the time to assess her injuries. Like Pansy said, she has cuts on her arms and legs. She probably bruised her arm when she collapsed and it took the brunt of the fall. A pulsing headache had started from dehydration and she was exhausted. There is nothing that a quick nap and a bottle of water can't cure, but she refuses to rest until she is sure that Harry and Ron are safe. If only she could move her legs, but no matter what she did, the limbs stayed limp. Rushed footsteps were coming toward her. Hoping that it was the teachers rushing Harry and Ron to the hospital, Hermione opened one eye. She was disappointed that she didn't see Harry or Ron, but it didn't last long when she saw that Pansy and Draco had come for her.

"Blimey Hermione! What happened to you!" Draco blurted out.

Pansy smacked him on the shoulder, "You dolt! Help her first then you can ask questions!"

The two Slytherins contemplated what to do with the exhausted and clearly in need of help Gryffindor. In the end, Draco just sighed and gave his wand a swish and a flick, "Wingardium leviosa!"

Hermione's unmoving body was lifted three feet above the ground. Seeing that Draco wanted to levitate Hermione to the Hospital Wing, Pansy cast the charm on her as well. Together the Slytherins carried Hermione, who's barely conscious, to the hospital wing on the next floor. They placed Hermione on one of the bed before high tailing it out of there. Gryffindors and Slytherins being friends is all but forbidden, and they didn't want to be caught when they had done so well with keeping the secret so long. Before they left, they heard a barely audible, "thank you," come from Hermione's bed. Smiling, the duo left the Hospital Wing sure of their friend's recovery. Of course, they'll give her hell for making them worry so much. For now though, they'll just let her recover.

The Next Morning

Hermione woke up feeling refreshed and fully energized. She looked around until her eyes rested on her friend Harry Potter. Harry looked exhausted, even in his sleep. Against her desires, she did not wake him up to hug him as tight as she could. A muggle reference sprung into her mind "Don't be a hero Billy." 'I should've told him to wait,' she thought to herself. She once again wondered why he had to go through the flames. Sighing and rolling her eyes at their stupidity, she snuck out of the hospital wing. Waiting for her outside were two Slytherins that looked very indifferent to the muggleborn in front of them. Hermione knew the duo well enough to know that they are not happy with her at all. She didn't care though. She threw her arms around the two and mumbled her thank you for what they did yesterday. Pansy gave her an amused smile before dragging her outside to a secluded area with Draco trailing behind.

"Hermione Jean Granger! You made me worried sick! When I first saw you collapsed in the corridor I thought you were dead!" Pansy scolded.

"How did you get those injuries?" Draco asked calmly, his eyes cool and calculating.

"Well," Hermione relayed the whole story that she knew, not omitting a thing.

"Idiot," Draco said immediately after she finished.

Pansy nodded her agreement to a chagrined Hermione. Hindsight is twenty/twenty. She looked down at her hands folded in her lap. She didn't see Pansy and Draco nod at each other. Before she could blink, Hermione was sandwiched between the two in a bone crushing hug. Truthfully, no matter how stupid Hermione was, her two friends are just happy she came back to them alive. They are each other's best friends in the world no matter what.


End file.
